Tuning device for musical wind instruments.



W. E. HIGGINS.

TUNING DEJIGE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED IULYZG, I914.

1,185,905. Patented June 6,1916.

7 a? 069mg I lO/ZMW WILLIAM E. HIGGINS,

OF.MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TUNING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed July 20, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuning Devices for Musical Wind Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to trumpets and other musical instruments having a tuningslide, and it consists in simple, economical and efficient means combined with a stationary portion of the instrument and the tuning-slide of the same by which to readily pitch the instrument in tune with some other musical instrument or instruments and to provide for quick key-change of the instrument first aforesaid, said invention consisting in what is herein particularly set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a side elevation of a fragment of a musical wind instrument of the horn-type provided with means in accordance with my invention for tuning and quick key change adjustments of the tuning-slide of said instrument, and Fig. 2, represents a cross-section view on the plane indicated by line 22 in Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 3 indicates the crook and 4:, 5, parallel branches of the tuning-slide of a horn-type musical wind instrument. The tuning-slide arm or branch 4 is telescopically engaged with a guide-tube 6 of the instrument inside the same and the arm or branch 5 of said slide is likewise engaged with another guide-tube 7 of said instrument outside of the same.

Some convenient stationary portion of the instrument is provided with a stationary stop 8, herein shown as soldered or otherwise rigidly secured to the guide-tube 4 aforesaid, and similarly secured to the stop is a rod 9 that extends through an eye 10 rigidly mounted on a split-sleeve 11 that is slidable on the branch 5 of the aforesaid tuning-slide, a tightening-screw 12 being employed in connection with ears 13, 1 1 of the sleeve. The sleeve, its ears and the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Serial No. 851,877.

tightening screw constitute a clamp, which clamp and the eye 10 therewith form a stop adjustable longitudinally of the rod 9 and an arm or branch of the tuning-slide.

The rod is shown screw-threaded in the stop 8, and in an adjacent set-nut 15, but it is immaterial how the rigid union of said rod and stop is accomplished. Adjustable on the rod opposite the side of the 'stop eye 10 farthest from the stationary stop 8 is a stop-nut l6, and a lock-nut 17 for the stopnut may be employed on said rod, as is here in shown. However the specific form of the stop 16 on the rod is immaterial, and the screw-cap 18 shown on said rod may be omitted.

The tuning-slide is shown fully retracted, the stop 16 on the rod 9 being adjusted against the stop-eye 10 that is carried by the aforesaid clamp, and to make a quick change of the key of the instrument, say from B flat to A, said tuning-slide is drawn out until the clamp-carried stop-eye 10 abuts the stop 8, said clamp-carried stop being guided on said rod. When necessary to slightly lower the normal pitch of the instrument to tune with another instrument or instruments, the tuning-slide is drawn out as far as may be necessary, after which the clamp is loosened and moved until the stopeye 10 again abuts the stop 16 on said rod, after which the clamp is tightened in adjusted position. for a predetermined pitch. Thereafter the quick key changes of the instrument are determined by adjustments of its tuning slide, the adjustment in one direction being limited by contact of the stop 10 with the stop 8, and in the opposite direction by contact of said stop 10 with the stop 16.

' I claim:

1. The combination with a trumpet or like instrument including a tuning slide of a rod fixed to a rigid portion of the instrument, a stop on the rod and a stop longitudinally adjustably carried by thetuning slide and adapted to abut the first stop.

2. The combination with a trumpet or like instrument including guide tubes and a tuning slide having one arm telescopically receiving a respective guide tube and its other arm engaged in the other guide tube,

of a rod fixedly secured to the last named guide tube, and a stop longitudinally adjustably secured on that slide arm which receives the respective guide tube, and adapted to abut the first stop.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee.

in the county of Milwaukee and State of lsconsln 111 the presence of two witnesses.

\V. E. HIGGINS. \Vitnesscs N. E. OLLPHANT, M. E. DOWNEY.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for flve cent! each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

